Fakhrul 'hurt' as motorcade attacked

The motorcade of Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir came under attack, allegedly by Awami League men, yesterday when the BNP leader was going to visit the landslide victims in Rangamati.

At least seven BNP leaders, including the party secretary general, were hurt and five vehicles vandalised, said party's Standing Committee Member Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, who was in the motorcade.

The injuries were caused by shattered windscreens and windows, he said.

In a statement, BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia blamed ruling Awami League men for the “heinous” attack in Chittagong's Rangunia and warned of “dire consequences”.

Following the attack, the delegation cancelled the trip and returned to Chittagong.

At a press briefing there, Khosru said, “We suspect supporters of local Awami League lawmaker Hasan Mahmud were behind the attack.”

Hasan, also the publicity secretary of the AL, dismissed the allegation.

He claimed that some agitated locals attacked the motorcade when one of its vehicles hit two people.

But the local police could not confirm if there was any accident in the area at the time. No one was admitted to the nearby hospital with accident-related injuries either.

The attack comes amid mud-slinging between the two archrivals over the country's deadliest landslide, which killed at least 153 people, including five army men, in five districts in the region.

Rangamati is the worst affected district with at least 115 deaths confirmed so far. Many are still missing.

After visiting the affected area on June 14, AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader blamed the BNP for rehabilitating Bangalee settlers in the hills without proper planning.

On the other hand, BNP leaders, including Khaleda, blamed the AL for the disaster.

Despite so many deaths, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina went on a “pleasure trip abroad”, the BNP alleged. 

The PM returned home on Saturday, after an official visit to Sweden. On her way to Stockholm, Hasina made a one-day stopover in a private visit in the UK, where she met her niece Tulip Siddiq, who won in the June 8 election with a Labour Party ticket.

Talking to The Daily Star, Fakhrul said they started for Rangamati early in the morning from Chittagong. When the motorcade reached Ichhakhali Bazar area around 10:40am, some 30-40 youths started hitting their vehicles with sharp weapons, iron rods and big stones.

Following the attack amid heavy rain, BNP activists took shelter in a nearby mosque for some time.

Fakhrul had glass of shattered windows all over his shirt and he was hit by a stone.

“I never faced such a situation in my life. It is unbelievable. I am stunned and have no word to condemn the attack,” said Fakhrul, who has been in politics since his student life. 

Asked if they could identify any of the attackers, he said: “It's for you to investigate. We were attacked suddenly and we only managed to escape hurriedly.”

The attackers chanted “Joy Bangla” and asked them to go back, he said.

Asked about the allegation, Hasan Mahmud said, “Locals and police said the motorcade hit two people and then agitated locals attacked the motorcade. It is unexpected. The two injured were admitted to Rangunia Upazila Health Complex.”

Imtiaz Bhuiyan, officer-in-charge of Rangunia Police Station, said they were investigating the attack.

About two people being hit by a vehicle of the motorcade, he said, “I heard about it but I do not know exactly what happened. The hospital authorities can say more.”

Ayesha Kabir, duty officer of the health complex, told The Daily Star that no one went to the hospital with accident-related injuries. “But two people came to the hospital who were physically assaulted.”

In her statement, Khaleda said, “It is nothing but the outcome of the unhealthy politics and politics of vengeance by the ruling Awami League.”

“I don't have words strong enough to denounce the heinous, cowardly and shocking attack on the BNP secretary general and other leaders,” she tweeted soon after the attack.

The party will demonstrate across the country today in protest of the attack.

Reports of the attack went viral on social media and drew heavy criticism from different groups.

Nagorik Oikya Convener Mahmudur Rahman Manna condemned the attack saying, “When the country is counting days for a participatory election, this sort of attack terrified us.”